A most important chalenging problem in pediatric dentistry is behavioral management of some uncooperative children including such groups suffering extensive caries, medically compromised patients, mental or physical disability and those who are very young age, much anxious and fearful.The aim of present study was to investigate the reasons for patients referrals to receive dental treatment under general anesthesia in Mofid Pediatric Hospital in Iran during 2008- 2009.
Methods:
A sample was compromised 100 eligible patients referred to Mofid Pediatric Hospital in the period from 2008- 2009. A questionnar was designed in four parts to record the parents and dentists responses regarding background and special information, level of cooporation and dental treatments done under GA. The data were entered to SPSS( Version 12) and analysed by descriptive statistical methods.
Results:
The greatest proportions of patients were male (58%) as compared to female (42%) and aged between 4 to 12 years old. Fear and extensive caries was the mostly observed reason (46%), systematic deseases ranked the second (33%), patients lack of cooporation with sever caries was in the next order with 13% and 18% respectively. 17 patients (25/37%) of under 4 years old, 11 (38%) of 4-8 years old and 100% of patients aged 8- 12 years and over 12 years showed the history of GA for dental treatment.
Conclusions: Lack of cooperation with fear and extensive caries were the most common reasons for treatment under GA specially in patients under 4 years of this study.